Book
by Soccerisawesome19
Summary: The Death Eaters had stopped fighting. They stood outspread around Voldemort opposing the doors of Hogwarts. Behind Voldemort was Hagrid… who had… "NO!" Professor McGonagall screamed. "No!" Hermione cried. There was no way. "No!" Ron's voice echoed hers with anguish. "Harry! Harry!" Ginny screeched, voice cracking. There was no way.


Quidditch S2R4 Chaser Two Prompts: (8. (word) frog, 9. (quote) "Your words create what you speak about. Learn to speak positively." Sanya Roman, 13. (word) disaster)

If You Dare Challenge: 141. Chimpanzee

Disney Character Challenge: Belle

One Million Words Competition: 2875 words

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: Some of this, like the dialogue from the troll scene, is from the actual book, because I couldn't change that.

* * *

**Book**

"Book! Book!" baby Hermione said, laughing and pointing at the book in delight.

"Harold! HAROLD! Hermione said her first word! Hermione said her first word!" her mother cried in delight.

"What was it? Was it papa or mama? Which one? Oh it was papa wasn't it, Susan? I told you so!" Harold said, running in excitedly.

"It was book! Oh she's going to love books when she gets older, just like me!" Susan said, beaming at the baby in her arms.

She rocked the baby back and forth, cooing at her with enchantment.

* * *

"Mommy, mommy! Look, it's a frog!" Hermione; four years old, held up a slimy frog in her hands, beaming up at her mother.

Despite her hate of frogs, her mother couldn't help but grin back at her little girl; she was just so happy. "Now you go put that back, okay? It's dirty, _dirty_."

"Froggy dirty?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, froggy dirty. So put it back where you found it," Susan said, smiling down gently at her.

Hermione dashed off with the frog in her hands.

"At least it wasn't a chimpanzee or something," Harold said from afar.

* * *

Hermione burst into tears. "But it was his fault, mommy! He called me ugly so I told him that at least I wasn't a fat hippo like him and then he tattled on me!"

"Now Hermione, you have to be careful on what you say. People can easily have hurt feelings by anything you say," Harold spoke sternly.

"But he said it first!" she declared.

Hermione had begun school, and so far, it was not mixing well with her. She had skipped two grades on recommendation of the teacher, and the older kids had begun to say mean things to her.

"It doesn't matter if he said it first. You should try to ignore it, or say something nice in return so that he'll be shocked and stop bothering you." Susan added seriously.

"But that's not fair! He gets to insult me and I have to compliment him?" Hermione whined.

"Life's not fair, hon," Harold said, hiding a smile. "As Sanya Roman always said, 'Your words create what you speak about. Learn to speak positively.'"

"That doesn't even make sense," Hermione pouted as she wiped up the last of her tears.

* * *

"It's a stray cat! Mummy can we please take it in? It looks so cold and helpless… please?" Hermione begged.

"It might have rabies. And it's dirty," Susan wrinkled her nose.

"Please mummy! What if something eats it? We have to take it in or it'll get hurt!" Hermione pleaded.

"Next time," Susan said, as she dragged Hermione away.

* * *

"S-she h-hurt m-me without t-touching m-me!" the girl burst into tears.

Hermione scoffed. "And how would I do that? With magic? Magic doesn't _exist_. You better find a better excuse to frame me."

Hermione herself was a bit shaken up from what happened. There was no logical explanation. How had she exploded the water bottle that the girl had been holding? She only remembered getting really angry, and all of a sudden, the water bottle exploding.

"You m-must have put a bomb in it or s-something!" the girl exclaimed sobbing.

Hermione turned to her teacher, sighing. "Does that even make sense? Why would I even bother putting a bomb into it, and how would I even put it into it? And wouldn't you have noticed?" she said, turning back to the girl. "Wouldn't you have _tasted_ it, or felt the weight or something? It just makes no logical sense. Stop trying to blame me for something you can't explain."

With that, she turned around and walked away.

* * *

"So it _was_ magic," Hermione said in awe, watching the woman who had came in and told her that she was a witch use her wand to lift a nearby vase.

"Yes indeed, dear. When you exploded the water bottle, it was the result of your anger, and your uncontrollable magic. But at Hogwarts, you learn how to control it, and do different things. Of course, you're going to need to buy equipment, as listed in the letter. I'm Headmistress McGonagall," she said, outreaching a hand to her.

Hermione shook it eagerly.

Everyone had always branded her as strange and weird, and now she finally knew why. Now she could finally fit in with people like her!

* * *

"Granger, Hermione!"

_Hmm… nice brains you've got there, you could easily be a Ravenclaw. But then again, you're quite cunning at the same time, so you could be a Slytherin too. And then… there's the bravery. That stupid need to help people, even if you need help more than them. Yes, yes, that's quite strong. Okay then…_

"Gryffindor!"

Hermione beamed. She took off the hat and went to sit at the Gryffindor table.

She saw Ron and Harry-the two boys who she'd met earlier on the train-standing nervously in line, waiting to be sorted into a house.

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Hermione smiled at him and waved. They had sat together in the same compartment, and he was very likable; although clumsy.

After a while, the hat sorted him into Gryffindor. Neville ran towards the Gryffindor table nervously but with an eager and bright smile still wearing the hat. Hermione giggled.

"Neville, sit here, with me!" Hermione called, waving her hand.

Neville took a seat next to her. "I'm so glad I'm in the same house as you. I don't know anyone here except for you."

"I'm glad we're in the same house too! Have you found Trevor?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, he's-" Neville fished around his pockets to find that Trevor had once again disappeared. "Oh no, he's gone again. Where can he be this time?"

"He can't be far," Hermione said, looking around. "Oh here, I found him!"

She picked up the toad from underneath her bench and passed him to Neville.

"Thank you so much!"

"So Percy, you're a prefect? Can you tell me about the classes? I memorized all the books by heart, will that be enough? Do we do actual spells in Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

* * *

"This is a disaster," Hermione whispered in fright.

She was hiding in the toilets, hoping the troll wouldn't find her. She had been crying because of what Ron had said about her, and all of a sudden, a troll had burst into the washroom.

She hid a sob of fright, trembling behind a stall door.

She had just been trying to teach him, and he had to say that, and now here she was, in the possible danger of being killed by a mountain troll.

The stall door banged open, and she screamed in fright. She slipped through the troll's left side, and realized she was trapped. The door was on the opposing side. She backed away from the troll slowly until she was against the wall.

"Confuse it," she heard a harsh whisper saying.

She glanced to where the voice came from and saw Harry and Ron looking desperately back and forth at each other and the troll.

Harry grabbed a tap and threw it as hard as he could against the wall.

Were they trying to save her? Didn't they know that _they_ could be killed too?

The troll turned and saw Harry and started for him, club raise in the air. All Hermione could do was watch in fright.

"Oy, pea-brain!" Ron yelled from across the chamber.

He threw a metal pipe at the troll, and the troll turned at the shout. He started towards Ron this time, and Harry ran around it towards Hermione, shouting, "Come on, run, _run_!"

She still couldn't move; she was petrified with terror, flat against the wall.

The troll could not decide which direction to go, and eventually cornered Ron, who was nearest to it, and had no escape route.

Harry jumped at the troll and fastened his arms around the troll's neck from behind, sticking his wand up the troll's nose.

The troll flailed around in pain, howling. Harry clung on for dear life, and Hermione sunk to the floor in fright. _What if these boys died because of her?_

Ron pulled out his wand and shouted the first spell he could think of; _Wingardium Leviosa_.

The club flew up and dropped onto the troll's head. The troll swayed back and forth for what seemed like eternity, and finally fell on its face.

* * *

Hermione was perfectly content with doing their work, and editing it, even though she continually scolded them for procrastinating and pushing it to the last day. As long as she could remain being their friend, she was happy.

She had spent the first ten years of her life friendless, so this was a nice change.

She was a Third Year now, and a lot had changed. They had all almost died in the Chamber of Secrets, as well as the corridor behind the trapdoor.

She and Harry had grown closer after the Time Turner incident, and she had wondered several times if he might like her.

She concluded with the fact that they were like a sister and brother, and that he didn't like her.

* * *

Sirius was also free, hiding somewhere. She worried about him, but knowing him, he was probably surviving somehow. After all, he had lived through Azkaban.

What was the next year going to hold?

* * *

Why was Ron such a jerk about everything? At first, he'd been so obsessed with Viktor, wanting his autograph and everything, but after Hermione had gone to the Yule Ball with him, he'd started saying terrible things about him.

Viktor was so kind, and really shy. He had gone to the library every day in the hopes that he could get some courage and ask her to the Yule Ball.

She was actually happy with him. Then Ron came in and started ruining everything.

He had ignored her at the beginning of the Yule Ball, and then had proceeded to insult him for the rest of the Ball.

At least Viktor had actually asked her first, unlike Ron who had only gone to her for last resort. She sighed.

She like Viktor, she really did. But was it love? It felt like _friendship_ to her, not love.

She didn't want to hurt Viktor, she really didn't. He was such a nice person. Why was Ron acting like this? Because he liked her? Surely not. Half the time he acted like he hated her.

Why did she feel so angry anyway? Did she… like Ron?

* * *

She wiped her cheek. Why was Ron even with Lavender? Lavender wasn't even that pretty! Come to think of it, why did she even care?

She quickly wiped at her eyes and splashed some water on her face. She checked her face in the mirror. Her eyes were very puffy. Everyone would notice.

She conjured makeup and covered her eyes quickly. If she just kept her head down, no one would notice.

She quickly walked towards the Gryffindor common room. She muttered the password to the Fat Lady who swung open quickly.

She kept her head down as she rushed towards her dorm. She ran into someone laughing, mumbled a sorry and walked passed them into her dorm.

She then proceeded to cry.

* * *

Sirius, laughing as he fell into the veil.

Harry, screaming and trying to get to him.

That was what had happened. She had been unconscious the whole time. If only she had done something, if only she hadn't gotten unconscious.

Maybe Harry wouldn't be in so much pain right now; maybe Sirius wouldn't be dead right now.

It was all her fault.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore was dead. How could this have happened? Albus Dumbledore, the strongest wizard to ever have lived, was dead. He had been murdered at the hands of Severus Snape; a teacher that Hermione had thought was above that.

What happened to all of the triple crossing stuff? How could he have killed Professor Dumbledore? The whole of Hogwarts was already feeling his loss.

She felt a huge lump in her throat and tears welling up in her eyes. Her affection for Albus Dumbledore would always be there. He had always been an odd fellow, but someone that everyone could say they admired and even loved.

Hermione closed her eyes, remembering the odd speeches that he had said, that she had listened to so faithfully, memorizing every word, even if it didn't matter.

She had always admired him. She gulped the lump down-or tried to. What would she do if Hogwarts closed? Hogwarts was her home-the only place she could return to when she had nowhere left to go.

She opened her eyes and looked at Ron and Harry with a little smile. She loved her friends so much. What would she do without them? Her lip trembled and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Why did it feel like her heart was being ripped apart?

* * *

How could Ron and she kiss amidst all of the battle that was going on right now? Amidst all of the people dying, getting hurt, crying…

But it didn't matter to her. They were together, _finally,_ and nothing else mattered at the moment.

They pulled away and she hugged him tightly. "Let's get through this."

He nodded.

"Where's Harry?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ron said, turning around.

The Death Eaters had stopped fighting. They stood outspread around Voldemort opposing the doors of Hogwarts.

Behind Voldemort was Hagrid… who had…

"NO!" Professor McGonagall screamed.

"_No!_" Hermione cried.

There was no way.

"No!" Ron's voice echoed hers with anguish.

"Harry! _Harry_!" Ginny screeched, voice cracking.

There was no way.

The crowd of Dumbledore's Army, of the survivors started screaming and shouting things at the Death Eaters.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort bellowed, waving his wand, and there was a loud bang and a flash of light, forcing everyone into silence.

Hagrid lowered Harry's body onto the ground.

Ron shouted something at Voldemort, but Hermione couldn't hear anything. All she could hear was the buzz of noises. She stared at Harry's body in shock, and looked up at Voldemort, and felt the strongest urge to kill him.

Neville leapt forward, but was quickly disarmed. The Sorting Hat was forced upon his head, then suddenly, Neville was aflame, and all Hermione could do was scream and stand there.

Neville pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the hat and sliced Nagini's head off. Arrows were flying everywhere, giants stomping from place to place, and people screaming.

Just like that, Hermione was released from her state of shock. She looked for Harry's body, so that it could be kept safe from all of the chaos, but it was gone.

Where was it?

"HARRY! HARRY – WHERE'S HARRY?" Hagrid shouted.

Threstrals, as well as Buckbeak were attacking the giants, and Centaurs were attacking Death Eaters.

Hermione threw hexes at Bellatrix, accompanied by Luna and Ginny, but she was slowly overpowering them.

Suddenly, Bellatrix threw a Killing Curse at Ginny that missed her by inches. Mrs. Weasley screamed, "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" telling them all to move aside.

Hermione quickly moved aside, wand still out, just in case she needed assistance. She looked around to see if anyone needed help.

Then suddenly, Mrs. Weasley cursed Bellatrix and Bellatrix flew backwards, laugh still etched on her face.

Hermione cheered, and heard Voldemort scream. He turned to Mrs. Weasley in rage and raised his wand, and Hermione's eyes widened in fright for the woman that she loved like a mother.

Then suddenly, "_Protego,_" Harry appeared out of nowhere, throwing off his Invisibility Cloak.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, so happy, _so_ elated that he was alive.

Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of him, because there was the _slight_ chance that he might not be real, that he might not actually be there.

But he didn't disappear. He was really there. _He was really there._

He was alive. Harry, _her best friend_, her brother, was alive.

* * *

Ron and Hermione smiled at their children lovingly. Ron had his arm around Hermione's waist, and Hermione was leaning her head against his shoulder.

Harry and Ginny stood holding hands in front of them.

They waved goodbye to their children.

Their children, going to Hogwarts, a place that would become their home, and perhaps already was.

* * *

Ron smiled lovingly at Hermione.

She had been studying to be a professor at Hogwarts, not that she needed to.

She was sleeping on top of her books, arms folded in front of her.

He tucked a strand of her grey hair behind her ear. She had retired from the Ministry of Magic a few years ago, and now wanted to become a Transfiguration teacher, as Professor McGonagall had passed away a few years ago.

It was a sad day, but a day that had to come.

Everyone was aging, time was passing, and everything was changing.

Well, not everything.

They still loved each other, and that was all that mattered.

Ron carefully lifted Hermione with weak and shaky arms towards the bed.

He took a look at the books and smiled. The one at the top read _Hogwarts: A History_. He picked it up and began to read the book.


End file.
